Playful polar bears have fun with mum as they frolic in the snow

Makes your heart melt, doesn't it: Playful polar bears have fun with mum as they frolic in the snow

|

UPDATED:

22:11 GMT, 11 December 2012

It’s fun playing in the snow. But it’s even more fun when you have something big and warm to snuggle up to.

For these two boisterous polar bear cubs, that big warm something came in the form of mum.

Not only did she give them a ride on her back but she also let them use her as a blanket as they settled down in the snow.

Cuddles: This polar bear cub enjoyed snuggling up to its mum after playing in the snow

Protection: Not only did the mother give the cubs a ride on her back but she also let them use her as a blanket as they settled down in the snow

One lucky cub even got to shelter between her forearms as she gazed out across the white wastes of the Waspusk National Park in Canada in temperatures of -20C, captured in these images by photographer Keren Su.

But like any mother, she also found that when she fancied a rest herself, the little ones were determined to keep her awake to play.

Photographer, Keren Su, captured the scene during an expedition.

Mr Su, from Redmond, Washington, endured temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius in a bid to get the delightful shots but admitted sightings of polar bear cubs was never guaranteed.

He said: 'It is a paradise for the polar bears but not for human beings. We had been taking our chances for days and found nothing.

'I was there on a very clear mission to get photos of the polar bear cubs. I believe that the beauty of nature is always hidden in the remote areas difficult to access.

Rare: Photographer Keren Su captured the heart-warming scene just outside Waspusk National Park in Canada during an expedition

Taken for a ride: This picture shows the cubs riding on their mother's back as she finds a safe place for them to relax.

Relaxing: The two cubs and their mother rest during their playful afternoon

'The young cubs need rest after walking for a certain amount of time, so the mother bear had to find a place safe enough for them to relax.

'The mother nursed the young cubs one by one. Then she licked their bodies, especially the stomach to help with their digestion.

'When the mother bear got tired, she needed rest but by that time the cubs seemed to get more energy.

'In one photo, it is as if one cub was telling the other to be quiet because mum needed a bit of sleep.'The cubs never left their mum very far. They always wanted to snuggle with her.

'This was one of my most enjoyable moments during all of my trips to this area.'

Dedicated: Mr Su endured temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius in a bid to get the delightful shots

Close: The photographer says the expedition team had been taking their chances for days and found nothing. This image shows the mother licking her cubs

Mr Su said when the team came across the cubs, they were not afraid of their human companions.

'Mothers are very protective of their cubs and taking a picture is totally different from just seeing a bear.

'When we found them resting, we had to let the bears accept us approaching them. Gradually they would allow us to watch them from a distance.

Cute: The photographer got the opportunity to photograph the cubs when they felt they were not a threat to them

On guard: The cubs look to make an escape from their mother

'When they felt we were not a threat to them, we got the opportunity to photograph them.

'I love winter, it’s my favourite season because it’s a very romantic and poetic time to photograph animals.